Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort: Date, Live Stream and Fight Predictions

The doors are wide open for retired prizefighters to get back into the ring and collect another paycheck on celebrity boxing cards. The likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson have already cashed in, and now former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is set to do the same.

Holyfield will fight former UFC star Vitor Belfort in the main event of "Triller Fight Club Legends II", which takes place Saturday, Sep. 11 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The pay-per-view card begins at 7 p.m. ET and features a boxing match between Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz in the co-main event. FITE.TV is live streaming the Triller card, including an alternate commentary stream featuring former President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr.

In his prime, Holyfield was an automatic A-lister, the kind of fighter you developed a card around. This time out, the 58-year-old is actually a replacement fighter. He's stepping in for Oscar De La Hoya, who had to pull out of the event after he was hospitalized with COVID-19. Holyfield's involvement also forced organizers to move the event from Los Angeles to Florida because the California State Athletic Commission wouldn't sanction the bout.

Belfort, 44, was known for his incredible knockout power as a mixed martial artist. He amassed a 26-14 record with 18 knockouts, many of them on punches. 

Fight Predictions

As brutal as boxing is on the head and body, it can be just as hard on the lungs. One has to wonder how Holyfield's stamina will hold up in this match, which is scheduled for eight two-minute rounds in the heavyweight division, per MMAFighting.com's Damon Martin. Holyfield believes his fitness levels will be just fine.

"Well, the thing is that I've been in good shape and I've been taking care of my body," Holyfield said, per MMA Junkie's Danny Segura. "I didn't have a lot of bad habits that a lot of people have and that's a big part of it. Talking to the younger people, you take care of yourself while you're young and when you get older still take care of yourself."

It's one thing to have your lungs full and your legs under you in the gym; it's another thing entirely when someone is throwing punches at your head and ribcage in the ring. All the training and cardio in the world can only get a boxer nearing his 60s so far, and Holyfield didn't even have the luxury of months of preparation. Unless he's in miraculous shape, he could end up looking pretty ragged after the first three or four rounds.

As long as he's been taking care of himself, Belfort should have an advantage simply because he's 14 years younger than his opponent. He's also much closer to his fighting days, having retired from UFC in 2018. Holyfield's last pro boxing match was in 2011.

If there's a distinct advantage for Holyfield, it will be in technique. Belfort has only dipped his toe into professional boxing once, a knockout win in his native Brazil in 2006. He had his moments as a striker in mixed martial arts, but it's not a direct crossover to the boxing ring. In his fight against Jake Paul, Tyron Woodley had a bad stance and struggled to get his distance and timing right. Belfort could have similar troubles.

Holyfield, who is 44-10 with 29 knockouts, should be able to win the exchanges in the early rounds basically on instinct. Belfort has a better shot at conjuring up a big haymaker and winning by knockout, but Holyfield might be able to win if he keeps the carnage to a minimum. In these exhibition-like matches fought under unusual circumstances, go ahead and pick the boxer to win a boxing match.

Prediction: Holyfield by decision